We're getting old. A couple of weeks ago, the Help and I were invited to dinner with some dear friends*. As in, an actual invitation was extended. And we said "we'd love to!" and they asked about our dietary restrictions and I offered to bring dessert. We're turning into grown-ups, and while this is terrifying and unpreventable, I'm happy to say that grown-up dinners = grown-up food. Like the bomb-dot-com jambalaya that preceded this tart.

*This is the same dear friend with whom, not 6 months ago, the Help drunkenly danced around his living room while brandishing an umbrella. No umbrellas were brandished in the making of this tart.

I love making things that look so much more impressive than they are. Fluted tart pans are extremely helpful in perpetrating such a hoax. So much pretty for so little effort.

The crust came together in about 10 minutes. It didn't even need to be rolled, just pressed into the pan. The filling is made from mascarpone cheese, so all nightmares of stovetops and wobbly custards and clumpy pastry creams were forgotten. The fruit was arranged in a circle. Circles are easy.The glaze was made by microwaving some apricot jam. I took a nap in between each of these steps.

The only thing I would do differently would be to take the crust out of the oven a little sooner than I did, because it ended up being slightly harder than usual. Such transgressions are easy to forgive when they are covered in berries and cream, and accompanied by wine and friends and jambalaya.

If becoming a grown-up means wonderful food, old friends and the occasional umbrella dance, I think I can get on board with that.

Fresh Berry Tart with Mascarpone Filling (adapted from Joy of Baking)

For the crust:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup salted butter (at room temp)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8"-9" tart pan and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar and continue to beat until pale and fluffy.Add the egg and continue mixing until fully incorporated. Add the flour and salt and mix until dough comes together and forms a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove dough from fridge and press it into the tart pan, until bottom and sides are evenly covered. Make sure that there are no holes. Prick the dough gently all over with a fork, and place in the oven for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

For the cream:

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (can also use cream cheese)

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

2 Tbsp. granulated white sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Using an electric mixer (or by hand), combine all ingredients and mix until light and fluffy.

For the apricot glaze:

1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves

1 tsp. water (more if needed)

Combine jam and water, and microwave for 15-20 seconds, until jam is liquid and melted. Use a pastry brush to apply the glaze to the fruit once the tart is assembled.

To assemble the tart, spread the cream evenly over the FULLY COOLED crust. Top with desired berries and apricot glaze. Chill in the fridge, but remove from fridge 15-20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

THE SETTING: A New York City science classroom, ﻿3 weeks into the Genetics unit

Me: Ok, let's review. What are the building blocks of a DNA molecule?

Student: Uhhh...photosynthesis?

I weep.

The MOST disappointing moment of my week was finding out about 12 paper cuts I had no idea I had until I started squeezing limes.

It was The Help's birthday this weekend, and his birthday dessert request is always the same. Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. BORING. So, this year, I sat him down in front of my computer, pulled up my Pinterest dessert board, and made him choose something more interesting.

I was surprised at the choice, only because citrus-y desserts feel like they belong so firmly in the realm of Summer, but the creamy texture and the toasted graham cracker crust ended up being the perfect fix for these mid-winter blues.

Also, can we agree that it's still okay to call it "Key Lime Pie" even if you don't use Key limes? I can never find them, and they are so tiny and annoying to squeeze. Should I start a petition about this?

This is one of the easiest desserts I've ever made, and the whole thing came together in about 45 minutes, including baking time. It's almost...dangerously easy.

Speaking of dangerously easy, did you know that you can buy PRE-CRUMBLED graham crackers?? Well, you can, and they taste just as grahamtastic as the regular crackers, and you save yourself the (admittedly cathartic) step of smashing things.

In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 2 tsp granulated sugar until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a greased pie plate or springform pan (this is what I prefer to use). Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is golden brown and set.

While the crust is baking, whisk egg yolks until they are pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks with the sweetened condensed milk and mix until mixture is lighter and fluffy. Add the lime juice and zest and stir to combine.

Once the crust is removed from the oven, pour the filling into the crust and return to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, until filling is set.

Cool pie to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream can either be piped or spread on top of the pie, or served alongside. Enjoy!

What do you do when you've been scouring Pinterest for days, drafting an army of chocolate-based, Valentine-y dessert options, and The Help announces he wants pumpkin pie?

If you're me, you crank up the Jersey Boys soundtrack, break out the rolling pin, and treat the people across the airshaft to your happy dance (a collage of The Twist, The Cabbage Patch, The Carlton Dance and The Rest Break).

My relationship with pumpkin pie is still in its infancy - up until about three years ago, I had never tried it. Pumpkins were not for pie. They were for carving in October and for taking Cinderella to the ball. Then, one fateful Thanksgiving, a family friend sent one to our house, and I reluctantly tried a bite. A bite turned into a slice, a slice turned into three, and here we are. A little rounder, but mostly better for having finally paid my respects to the reigning Don of Autumn Desserts.

And honestly, with the weather we've been having here in New York, who doesn't want to close their eyes and rewind to autumn?

I always prefer pumpkin pie to be really spicy and flavorful, which is why I added a little extra cinnamon in addition to the pumpkin pie spice. If you prefer a milder spice flavor, skip the extra cinnamon!

Also, the addition of walnuts adds a little bit of saltiness to the pie. I found that if you balance this with a little bit of sweetened whipped cream, it tastes delicious, but if you want a sweeter pie, either candy the walnuts first, or skip them!

If you're not interested in backpedaling to Autumn, and are looking to fast forward to spring instead, stay tuned for Key Lime Pie, coming up in a couple weeks (a birthday request from The Help).